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Square Enix Dates Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep for the PSP

Japanese gamers have been playing the latest title in the Kingdom Hearts franchise since January, and Square Enix announced today that North America will have to wait a bit longer for the PSP game. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is set to launch stateside on September 7.

Featuring a star-studded voice acting cast, including Mark Hamil, James Woods, and Leonard Nimoy, Birth by Sleep is a prequel to the existing Kingdom Hearts console games and will take players on a journey through some of Disney's most iconic worlds.

"The entire development team is extremely happy to announce the North American release date for Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep," Tetsuya Nomura, director of the KINGDOM HEARTS series, said in a statement. "We hate to keep fans waiting, but we've added some brand-new features for the North American version, so even those who have been following the Japanese version are sure to find a few surprises."

Those North American surprises include an extra boss to take down, additional multiplayer options, and a reward system that enables players to earn prizes by collecting Crown Stickers and placing them in an in-game album.

A prequel to the mega-hit series, this pivotal installment takes players back to the beginnings of the Kingdom Hearts saga, long before Sora was chosen by his Keyblade. Players will explore iconic Disney worlds in a unique gaming experience that unfolds through the perspectives of three different main characters: Terra, Ventus and Aqua. Their journeys will take them through Sleeping Beauty's Enchanted Dominion, the Dwarf Woodlands from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Deep Space from Lilo & Stitch.

In addition to the game announcement, Sony revealed that it will launch a special PSP bundle with Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. The bundle will be exclusive to GameStop and include a Mystic Silver PSP-3000, the game, an unannounced movie, and a 4GB memory stick.

Sharkey says: A big title for the PSP, which finally appears to be hitting its stride in terms of available games, with a new God of War on the way to join Kingdom Hearts. Too bad for Sony it took so long.